Free Convection:

Cylinders, Spheres, and Enclosures

Chapter 9
Section 9.6.3 through 9.8

Cylinders

The Long Horizontal Cylinder

Boundary Layer Development and Variation of the Local Nusselt Number

for a Heated Cylinder:

The Average Nusselt Number:

0.387 Ra1/D 6

Nu D 0.60

8
/
27
1 0.559 / Pr 9 /16

RaD 1012

See Example 9.4 in text

How do conditions change for a cooled cylinder?

Spheres

Spheres

The Average Nusselt Number:

Nu D 2

0.589 Ra1/D 4
1 0.469 / Pr 9 /16

4/9

In the limit as RaD 0, how may conditions be characterized? Avg Nu=2

tbl_09_02b

Enclosures

Enclosures
Rectangular Cavities

Characterized by opposing walls of different temperatures, with the

remaining walls well insulated.

RaL

g T1 T2 L3

q h T1 T2

Enclosures (cont)

Horizontal Cavities
Heating from Below 0

Horizontal Cavity 0, 180deg

Vertical Cavity 90 deg

For
RaL RaL,c 1708 :
Fluid layer is thermally stable.

Nu L hL 1
k

For
1708 RaL 5104 :
Thermal instability yields a regular
convection pattern in the form of roll cells.
For
3 105 RaL 7 109 :
Buoyancy driven flow is turbulent

3
0.074
Nu L 0.069 Ra1/
L Pr

Enclosures (cont)

Heating from Above 180 deg

Fluid layer is unconditionally stable.

Nu L 1
Vertical Cavities
3
RaL 10 :

Nu L 1

RaL 10 :
3

A primary cellular flow is established, as the core

becomes progressively more quiescent, and
secondary (corner) cells develop with increasing
RaL .
Correlations for Nu L Eqs. (9.50) - (9.53).

Enclosures (cont)

Inclined Cavities

Relevant to flat plate solar collectors.

Heat transfer depends on the magnitude of relative to a critical angle * ,
whose value depends on H/L (Table 9.4).
Heat transfer also depends on the magnitude of RaL relative to a critical
Rayleigh number of RaL,c 1708/ cos .
Heat transfer correlations

Eqs. (9.54) (9.57).

Hollands Correlation

Nu L 1 1.44 1 1708
RaLCos
Ra Cos 13

1
L
5830

6
1708(sin(1.8

))
1

RaLCos

Where tilt angle from Horizontal

See text

Hollands Correlation

Enclosures (cont)

Annular Cavities
Concentric Cylinders

2 keff

1n ro / ri

Ti To
1/ 4

Pr

0.386

k
0.861 Pr

keff

Rac1 / 4

or keff/k =1 if the value calculated above is less than unity.

Enclosures (cont)

The length scale in Rac is given by

Lc

2 ln ro / ri

3 / 5

4/ 3

ro 3 / 5

5/ 3

Concentric Spheres
4 keff Ti To
q
1 / ri 1 / ro

1/ 4

Pr

0.74

k
0
.
861

Pr

keff

Ras1 / 4

or keff/k = 1 if the value calculated above is less than unity.

The length scale in Ras is given by

Ls

1 / ri 1 / ro

4/ 3

21 / 3 ri 7 / 5 ro 7 / 5

5/ 3

p_09_100

tbl_09_03

tbl_09_04

Problem: Batch Reactor

Problem 9.74: Use of saturated steam to heat a pharmaceutical in a batch reactor.

KNOWN: Volume, thermophysical properties, and initial and final temperatures of a

pharmaceutical. Diameter and length of submerged tubing. Pressure of saturated steam
flowing through the tubing.
FIND: (a) Initial rate of heat transfer to the pharmaceutical, (b) Time required to heat the
pharmaceutical to 70C and the amount of steam condensed during the process.

Problem: Batch Reactor (cont)

SCHEMATIC:
Saturated steam
Tubing
D = 15 mm, L = 15 m

psat = 2.455 bars

Ts = 127oC
T(t)

Pharmaceutical
Ti = 25oC, Tf = 70oC
V = 200 L

= 1100 kg/m3
c = 2000 J/kg-K
k = 0.250 W/m-K
= 4.0x10-6 m2/s
Pr = 10, = 0.002 K-1

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Pharmaceutical may be approximated as an infinite, quiescent fluid of

uniform, but time-varying temperature, (2) Free convection heat transfer from the coil may be
approximated as that from a heated, horizontal cylinder, (3) Negligible thermal resistance of
condensing steam and tube wall, (4) Negligible heat transfer from tank to surroundings, (5)
Constant properties.

PROPERTIES: Table A-4, Saturated water (2.455 bars): Tsat = 400K = 127C, hfg = 2.183
106 J/kg. Pharmaceutical: See schematic.
ANALYSIS: (a) The initial rate of heat transfer is q hAs Ts Ti , where As = DL = 0.707
m2 and h is obtained from Eq. 9.34.

Problem: Batch Reactor (cont)

With = /Pr = 4.0 10-7 m2/s and RaD = g (Ts Ti) D3/ = 9.8 m/s2 (0.002 K-1) (102K)
(0.015m)3/16 10-13 m4/s2 = 4.22 106,
2

1/ 6
6
0.387 4.22 106

0.387 Ra1/

D
Nu D 0.60
0.60
27.7
8
/
27
8
/
27

1 0.559 / Pr 9 /16
1 0.559 /10 9 /16

Hence,

h Nu D k / D 27.7 0.250 W / m K / 0.015m 462 W / m2 K

and

q hAs Ts Ti 462 W / m2 K 0.707 m2 102C 33,300 W

<

(b) Performing an energy balance at an instant of time for a control surface about the liquid,

d c T
dt

q t h t As Ts T t

where the Rayleigh number, and hence h , changes with time due to the change in the
temperature of the liquid.

Problem: Batch Reactor (cont)

Integrating the foregoing equation numerically, the following results are obtained for the
variation of T and h with t.
Convection coefficient, hbar (W/m^2.K)

75

Temperature, (C)

65

55

45

35

25
0

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

470

450

430

410

390

370
0

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

Time, t(s)

Time, t(s)

The time at which the liquid reaches 70C is

t f 855s

<

The rate at which T increases decreases with increasing time due to the corresponding
reduction in (Ts T), and hence reductions in Ra D , h and q.

The Rayleigh number decreases from 4.22 106 to 2.16 106, while the heat rate decreases
from 33,300 to 14,000 W.

The convection coefficient decreases approximately as (T s T)1/3, while q ~ (Ts T)4/3.

Problem: Batch Reactor (cont)

The latent energy released by the condensed steam corresponds to the increase in thermal
energy of the pharmaceutical. Hence, mc h fg c Tf Ti ,

and
mc

c Tf Ti 1100 kg / m3 0.2 m3 2000 J / kg K 45C

h fg

2.183 106 J / kg

9.07 kg

<

COMMENTS: (1) Over such a large temperature range, the fluid properties are likely to
vary significantly, particularly and Pr. A more accurate solution could therefore be
performed if the temperature dependence of the properties were known. (2) Condensation of
the steam is a significant process expense, which is linked to the equipment (capital) and
energy (operating) costs associated with steam production.

10